Yerushalmi Chagigah 2:5 ירושלמי חגיגה ב׳:ה׳

MISHNAH: One washes hands¹⁵⁹The impurity of hands is rabbinic. Unless hands are consciously guarded from touching anything impure they are presumed to be impure in second degree and can be purified by having a quartarius (about 133 ml) of water poured over them. for profane food, tithe, and heave, but for sancta one immerses¹⁶⁰The consumption of sancta requires not only a pure body, but if the eater’s hands were not consciously guarded from touching anything impure after he immersed his whole body in a miqweh, at the time of the meal his hands have to be immersed again in a minimum if 40 seah (about 510 l) of water.. And for the Red Cow if his hands became impure so became his body¹⁶¹Even if according to rabbinic rules the rabbinic impurity of his hands does not imply impurity of the body, for handling the ashes of the Red Cow or water containing such ashes he must be considered impure and therefore disqualified..

HALAKHAH: Is hand-washing required for profane food¹⁶²This is a discussion of impurity imparted by unwashed hands. The basic observation is that an impure person or object which touches anything susceptible to impurity imparts impurity of one degree lower. (However, the majority opinion is that fluids do not touch but merge, and therefore transmit impurity of the same degree as the acting material.) There are three stages of biblical impurity, “grandfather of impurity”, a corpse or a house in which there is a corpse, “original impurity”, anything touched by a corpse or (with a few exceptions) found in a house containing a corpse, and any other impurity described in the Torah, and “impurity in the first degree”, biblically imparted by contact with original impurity or rabbinically by contact with any impure fluid. The other stages are rabbinical; persons or food impure in stage n by touch impart impurity of stage n+1. The technical term is “impure” for anything able to impart impurity and “disqualified” for matters unusable because of impurity but not imparting impurity to others. Profane food may be impure in stage 1, it becomes disqualified (cannot be dedicated for any sacred use) in stage 2. Heave and Second Tithe (sacra not connected with the Temple) are impure in stages 1,2 and disqualified in stage 3. Temple sacra are impure in stages 1,2,3 and disqualified in stage 4.? But it must follow Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar, since Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says, hand-washing is required for profane food. It is everybody’s opinion, so he should separate from heave¹⁶³Since unwashed hands rabbinically are considered impure in stage two, handling heave with unwashed hands disqualifies it.. Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr, hands are first degree impure for profane food and second degree impure for heave¹⁶⁴Touching with unwashed hands always disqualifies. Babli Ḥulin 33b; differently Tosephta Taharot 1:6.. Does Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar follow Rebbi Aqiba, as we have stated there¹⁶⁵Mishnah Yadaim 3:1., “if somebody puts his hands into a leprous house¹⁶⁶As described in Lev. 14:33–54. Bodily entrance into the house causes biblical impurity (vv. 46,47), standing outside and reaching into the house only causes rabbinic impurity., his hands are impure in the first degree, the words of Rebbi Aqiba, but the Sages are saying, his hands are impure in the second degree”? There, it follows the rabbis; what is their reason here? Since you tell him that his hands are impure in the second degree, he will separate from heave. But did they not decide about them because of fluids; then they should be impure in the first degree¹⁶⁷Since unwashed hands touching any fluid make the fluid rabbinically impure in the first degree, it would be reasonable to consider unwashed hands as impure in the first degree.? It is an argument de minore ad majus. Since the Tevul Yom, which is a word from the Torah, only disqualifies¹⁶⁸An impure person can qualify to eat sancta by first immersing himself in a miqweh, to remove his impurity, and then waiting until sundown, when he becomes pure (Lev. 22:6–7). The intermediate stage, no longer impure but not yet pure, is called Tevul Yom, “immersed during daytime”. Since the verse prohibits him to consume sacred food it is inferred that he also may not handle it. Since he is no longer impure, his touch cannot make impure. It is inferred that his touch disqualifies., impure hands, which are from their words, not so much more? Another explanation: Did they not decide about hands only that he should separate from heave? Since you tell him that his hands are impure in the second degree, he will separate from heave.

There, we have stated¹⁶⁹Mishnah Bikkurim2:1. The corrector added the text presupposed by the scribe.: [“For heave and First Fruits one incurs the penalty of death¹⁷⁰Eating them in impurity is a deadly sin. or a fine of a fifth¹⁷¹If misappropriated, the restitution must be at least 125%.; they are forbidden to lay persons, are property of the Cohen¹⁷²They might be traded from one Cohen to another and a Cohen may use them as gifts to marry a wife since, even if she was a lay person before, she becomes a member of the Cohen’s family by marriage and may eat heave and First Fruits., may be lifted by one in 100¹⁷³If heave or First Fruits were mixed with profane food and are now no longer recognizable, if they constitute less than 1% of the mixture, 1% may be lifted and designated heave or First Fruits and the remainder freed for lay use., need washing of the hands and sundown.] This applies to heave and First Fruits but not to tithe.” There, you are saying tithe does not need washing, but here, you are saying that tithe needs washing. When you are saying that tithe needs washing, following the rabbis; but when you are saying that tithe does not need washing, following Rebbi Meïr. As we have stated there¹⁷⁴Mishnah Parah 11:5. Babli 18b., “anything which requires immersion by the words of the Sopherim¹⁷⁵Part of the original institutions of Judaism formulated by Ezra and his successors. makes sancta impure and disqualifies heave but is permitted for profane food and tithe, the words of Rebbi Meïr. But the Sages forbid for tithe¹⁷⁶Since tithe becomes impure by touch of hands or things impure in the second degree and unwashed hands always are impure in the second degree..” He did not understand that Rebbi Samuel said in the name of Rebbi Ze`ira: What means, “but the Sages forbid for tithe”? His body became disqualified from consuming tithe¹⁷⁷But not touching.. How it that? If you are saying, tithe needs washing, [for one who intends to eat. If you are saying, tithe does not need washing,] if he intends to touch¹⁷⁸The better text probably is obtained by deleting the corrector’s addition: “If you are saying, tithe needs washing, if he intends to touch? But does not one who wants to eat also want to touch?”. But does not one who wants to eat also want to touch? Only because of [handwashing as discipline. But did we not state “heave”? For heave is there] handwashing as discipline¹⁷⁹Again it is better to delete the corrector’s addition. The washing of hands is “discipline of heave”.? Therefore about profane food prepared in the purity of sancta. But is profane food prepared in the purity of sancta not profane food¹⁸⁰Food prepared to the standards of sancta is not a sanctum unless dedicated, which in the absence of a Temple is impossible. Therefore it remains profane and its status cannot be changed by touching with hands which are impure in the second degree.? Explain either following Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar or Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Ṣadoq. Either following Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar, as it was stated, Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says in the name of Rebbi Meïr, hands are first degree impure for profane food and second degree impure for heave¹⁶⁴Touching with unwashed hands always disqualifies. Babli Ḥulin 33b; differently Tosephta Taharot 1:6.. Or Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Ṣadoq, as we have stated there¹⁸¹Mishnah Taharot 2:8.: “profane food prepared in the purity of sancta is profane food. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Ṣadoq says, it is like heave, to be impure in two stages and disqualified in the third¹⁶²This is a discussion of impurity imparted by unwashed hands. The basic observation is that an impure person or object which touches anything susceptible to impurity imparts impurity of one degree lower. (However, the majority opinion is that fluids do not touch but merge, and therefore transmit impurity of the same degree as the acting material.) There are three stages of biblical impurity, “grandfather of impurity”, a corpse or a house in which there is a corpse, “original impurity”, anything touched by a corpse or (with a few exceptions) found in a house containing a corpse, and any other impurity described in the Torah, and “impurity in the first degree”, biblically imparted by contact with original impurity or rabbinically by contact with any impure fluid. The other stages are rabbinical; persons or food impure in stage n by touch impart impurity of stage n+1. The technical term is “impure” for anything able to impart impurity and “disqualified” for matters unusable because of impurity but not imparting impurity to others. Profane food may be impure in stage 1, it becomes disqualified (cannot be dedicated for any sacred use) in stage 2. Heave and Second Tithe (sacra not connected with the Temple) are impure in stages 1,2 and disqualified in stage 3. Temple sacra are impure in stages 1,2,3 and disqualified in stage 4..”

“But for sancta one immerses¹⁶⁰The consumption of sancta requires not only a pure body, but if the eater’s hands were not consciously guarded from touching anything impure after he immersed his whole body in a miqweh, at the time of the meal his hands have to be immersed again in a minimum if 40 seah (about 510 l) of water..” Anywhere we state “immerses” it means in 40 seah. But did we not state¹⁸²Cf. Tosephta Yadaim 1:5., “he who washes his hands in the Temple needs a quartarius”? Rebbi Eleazar said, here for impure hands, there fore pure hands. [Rebbi Ḥanina ben Rebbi Hillel said, even if you are saying here and there for pure hands, here and there for impure hands.]¹⁸³The provenience of the corrector’s addition is unknown. The spelling חנינא is Babylonian. Here for dedicated Temple sancta, there for profane food prepared in the purity of sancta.

“And for the Red Cow if his hands became impure so became his body¹⁶¹Even if according to rabbinic rules the rabbinic impurity of his hands does not imply impurity of the body, for handling the ashes of the Red Cow or water containing such ashes he must be considered impure and therefore disqualified..” Rebbi Ḥanina said, not that they introduced new impurities for the Red Cow but they said, he who becomes impure in an easy impurity is like one who became impure in severe impurity¹⁸⁴An easy impurity is one which is removed by immersion in a miqweh. A severe impurity needs some additional action, either a waiting period or a sacrifice to regain access to Temple and sancta.. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: And it shall be collected by a man, why does the verse say, pure¹⁸⁵Num. 19:9.? Think of it. Even if you collect it by a shovel, the Torah requires pure. Where do we hold? If a metal shovel, but also flat metal implements are subject to impurity. If a wooden shovel, is it not held together because of something subject to impurity¹⁸⁶Any metal object is subject to impurity. A wooden object is subject to impurity if it encloses a volume; it becomes impure by being used as a container. Therefore it seems that the collection of the ashes, required by the verse, is an impossible task.? Rav Hoshaia said, explain it if he collects it with a plank¹⁸⁷A flat piece of wood is impervious to impurity.. Then it is impossible that he should not carry it¹⁸⁸In most cases of severe impurity, such as carcasses of non-kosher four-legged animals, and impurity caused by human bodies, carrying the impure object without touching it, causes the carrier to be impure (Lev. 11:28, 15:10). Since in relation to the ashes of the Cow any impurity is severe, there is transfer of impurity even if the ashes are carried on a wooden plank which itself cannot become impure.. Rebbi Yudan, the father of Rebbi Mattaniah, said, explain it if he collects it with a coarse cross-beam¹⁸⁹Greek μέλαθρον. This not only is a flat piece of wood, it is so heavy that the load of ashes is not noticeable; it causes no impurity by carrying.. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal asked before Rebbi Immi: what is the difference between a person pure for the Red Cow and an empty vessel pure for the Red Cow¹⁹⁰The Mishnah (Note 174) extends impurity automatically only for humans, not to vessels.? He answered him, And it shall be collected by a pure, why does the the verse say, man? Only to prescribe extraordinary purity to the man to handle the water for ashes of the Red Cow and the ashes of the Red Cow. Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: The moving which I declared pure for you for crawling animals¹⁹¹In the special section about impurity of dead crawling animals (Lev. 11:29–38), impurity by carrying is not mentioned. I declared impure for you here¹⁹²The rabbinic restrictions in the case of the ashes of the Cow are justified biblically..